KILLER RIDES #10 by killerrides

THE HOME OF AUSTRALIA’S Toughest STREET CARS

ISSUE #10 - MAR 2019

R E R U O GRAND T Built to BE DriveN

700Hp GT HARD!

E THIS ISSUE! ALSO INSID ARGED HARLEY

MRX-275 555-CUBES, NITROUS AND HEADIN’ FOR 8’S!

PROCH CORTINA 383CI EH UTE - RAMMED SYDNEY POWERCRUISE #8 MELBOURNE SHOWCARS BATHURST AUTOFEST -TOURER PT2 HOW TO BUILD A PRO

AND MUCH MORE!

From the Desk ARE AUSSIE CAR BUILDERS PLAYING IT “ TOO SAFE”?

Lately, I have been noticing a lot of people posting images of the car scene from back in the late 80’s, early 90’s – the absolute height of the Pro-Street scene in Australia. Back then, it was all about attitude. Big engines, fat tyres and outrageous paint jobs guaranteed to get noticed and make a statement. While the Pro-Street style of car is style is still relevant here (and even more so in the USA where its legal to cruise on 33x21.5” MT tyres!), the crazy paint schemes have taken a back seat to more subtle colours or sometimes two-tone paint schemes. Is it because car owners don’t want to step out of line for what’s considered “normal” for fear of being crucified across the social media platforms by those who have probably never built a car and are currently sharing their Mum’s Gemini to get around? Multi-coloured candy graphics paint over insane base coats were all the rage back in the day. The brighter and more intense the better. Every time someone posts a pic of a Pro-Street 2 car from that golden era, everyone loves it. It begs the question; “why isn’t anyone doing it?” My Stude, Project Road Rage, is a wild car – even in standard form. But when it’s finished, it will pay homage back to the time where to stand out in the crowd, you needed something really in your face to compete with everyone else. The Stude will do that…eventually. See you on the Street, Cheers,

Paul

Bring back the

days where outrageous

cars were considered

normal!

Contents REGULARS

700hp Blown XBGT Falcon

How to Build a Pro-Tourer Pt. 2

ISSUE NO.10 Mar 2019

06 WHAT’S HAPPENING News, views and things of interest 10 HAVE YOUR SAY Tell us what you think

ANSMA HAPPENINGS Whats happening in the Scene

CYBER CRUISIN’ 2019 Ridler Award Contenders Exposed

ASRF NEWS Hot Rod & Custom Information

COMING ATTRACTIONS Turbo Barra-powered XW Fairmont

HOW TO BUILD A PRO-TOURER Pt2. Doing in the right way!

TE Ford Cortina

60 POWER PLAYGROUND Sydney Powercruise goes off...again! 82

AT THE WEBSITE TO ENSURE YOU NEVER MISS A NEW ISSUE!

92 POWERING THE MOUNTAIN Bathurst Autofest smokes the Mountain

Powercruise Sydney

EH Holden Ute

102

Melbourne Showcars

102 SHOWIN’ OFF Showcars Melbourne 8th Showdown 120 KILLER PIC Black, blown, injected, tubbed HQ Monaro 122 WINDOW SHOPPING New Products from our Advertisers 124 PERFORMANCE DIRECTORY Quick Find Ad’s 126 SHOW TIME Events happening around the Country

FEATURES 26

HOOKED ON CLASSICS Not all muscle cars need to be restored.

HATCHING A PLAN A 555ci Torana gunning for 8’s on Radials.

JUST PLAIN TOUGH Stuffed full of Clevo, this TE Cortina is tough!

20-YEAR APPRENTICESHIP Show ‘n’ Go 383ci EH Holden Ute

110 GOIN THE WHOLE HOG A Procharged Harley with an attitude.

50 555ci Nitrous Torana Hatch 110

Procharged Harley Breakout

Bathurst Autofest

Lauren LaurenJade Jade--Xposed XposedPhotography Photography Greg ‘Beach’Joe BallMaday ,Vincent De Rossi Joe Crispin, Julie Marshall Chad Silvey Flaming Mike RimDavison Productions Karstormz Tim McCormack Photography

What’s Happening SYDNEY HOT ROD AND CUSTOM AUTO EXPO 2019

GRUDGE KINGS UPS THE ANTE IN 2019

In 2018, the Grudge Kings event was the talk of the drag racing community with its winner takes all $50,000 pay day! Well Po has just ramped it up another notch or two by not only offering a $50K prize for the winner in Pro-Mod, but also matching that amount for the winner in Pro-Street! Add to that, $10K in Pro-Elite and $5K in Pro Modified and you have the richest Drag Racing event in Australia! So make sure you mark Saturday the 6th of July as busy all day in your diary and head to Sydney Dragway to catch all the action that also includes a huge show and shine as well. For more info on the classes available and buy-in costs, go to www.grudgekings.net Killer Rides are proud to be associated with Grudge Kings in 2019 and beyond…

Not long to go now for the 2019 Sydney Hot Rod & Custom Auto Expo at Rosehill Racecourse. By all accounts, this year’s event will be bigger than ever with more of everything you’ve come to expect from this great event and then some. Nostalgia Lane returns after a successful debut in 2108 along with the many hot rod, customs, street machines and bikes on display for the weekend. Also on the program are the Pinstripe Masters, Loweriders, trade stands, air brush alley and family friendly entertainment. And, if you cruise your cool car out to the show, there’s a special area for you to park at the Cruisin Magazine Car park show and shine. It all happens at Rosehill Raceocurse, May 25th and 26th. For regular updates and entry information, log onto www.htorodandcustom.com.au

SUBSCRIBE TO KEEP UP TO DATE WITH KILLER RIDES NEW ISSUE RELEASES! It only takes a minute to subscribe at the website (killerrides.com.au) and you’ll be guaranteed to be alerted when each new Issue of the magazine has been added to the website. Don’t miss out, SUBSCRIBE NOW!

What’s Happening SUMMERNATS SACRED GROUND IN JEOPARDY?

The rumours have been circling and even made it into the local Canberra media that the traditional home of the Summernats, EPIC, could be rezoned for housing to make the most of the new late rail line that runs right past EPIC’s front door and into the city. Summernats co-owner Andy Lopez has told the media (and Summernats fans) that it is far from a done deal and in fact, there could be alternative plans in place that could see the venue upgraded substantially. Andy hopes that he can be involved in future planning sessions with the Government so he can keep an eye on how this pans out. I for one, can’t think of an alternative event to stage an event of that size, unless of course the Government plan to construct a whole new venue with the Summernats in mind. As they say, time will tell…

WADE WAGSTAFF MAKES QUICKEST RADIAL PASS BY AN AUSSIE

At the South Georgia Motorsport Park during the Lights Out 10 event, the Aussie put his ’57 Chev down the track in qualifying tripping the beams with a 3.791@196.47 mph. That pass put him in 21st position in the 32 car field. Although outraced in Round 1, the Aussie team was more than happy with how the event panned out for them! Stay tuned for big things from this team as they live out their dream of racing in the USA.

Raising money for the Ovarian Cancer Australia, the members of the Ratpac Inc Club have been working tirelessly on the full-tilt custom Morris dubbed “Morringe Crush” that they are raffling off for just $10 per ticket. Tickets can be paid for by direct debt (Acc. 10248790 – BSB 062654) and then sending a screen shot of the payment to Nat on (0409) 790212. Nat will reply with your tickets. Alternatively, you can email Deb@inkandironsydney.com With the opening of the “The Bend” facility in South Australia comes the news that Powercruise is headed to the venue over the Easter weekend! With just two months before the date to get things organised, Powercruise Promoter Michael ‘Gup’ Gilbert asked the car fraternity to enter the event before March 5th to make the 2019 inaugural event viable. “I need 600 cars to be entered by the 5th of March so I know we can put on a big show, leaving me to worry about sorting out everything else in time,” Gup said. “If we can’t get the necessary numbers, we’ll can it and concentrate on the 2020 event.” So guys, its entirely up to you. If you want to have the wildest car show in your state this Easter, you only have a limited time to enter. Check out the entry form here – https://bit.ly/2riYs85

It’s all going to happen inside the Illawarra Indoor Hockey Centre in Unanderra, just south of Wollongong over the weekend of July 13/14.

Starting in1994 as the Hot Car Titles, the event brings the most unique cars to the Illawarra region - many of which have never been seen in the area before. For more information, go to www.killerrides.com.au or go to the Killer Rides Live facebook page.

RATPAC RAFFLES CUSTOM MORRIS

POWERCRUISE HEADS TO SA – EASTER 2019

KILLER RIDES LIVE GOES INDOORS AGAIN FOR 2019

Have Your Say! PRO-STREET RULES SUPREME

Got something to say? Send it to paul@killerrides.com. au or message us from the Killer Rides Facebook page.

Hey Paul, Damn! That HT Monaro is the toughest car in Australia at the moment by far! I wanted to get to the Summernats so badly when I mate of mine told me it was there cruising around. Great work in bringing the toughest of tough cars to the cover and pages of Killer Rides. And that Datsun 1200 is awesome too! Without doubt the coolest cover yet! Pro-Street will always rule! Great stuff! Danny K Via Messenger

Hi Paul, Just read issue 9 – what a great issue you’ve produced this month. Every car was interesting, but I have to say, that Monaro is…WOW! The stance and attitude this car has is amazing and is a credit to all involved in its creation. Brett is one lucky bugger to be cruising something like this. This is what drew me to Killer Rides and will keep me here for the long haul. #1 KILLER RIDES FAN Via Email G’day Paul, I thought Issue 8 of Killer Rides was awesome, and then you back it up with no.9 with that wild Monaro, tough Datsun 1200 and more. I can’t believe you are letting this be read for free! I’d be happy to part with $10 for a printed copy – though I know you’re not heading down that road. Either way, I’m a fan of everything Killer Rides is about. Keep up the awesome work mate… Jamie T Via Messenger Thanks guys. I am very happy with how Issue No.9 has turned out. To get the exclusive first feature on the Monaro and Datsun (and other feature cars) makes it all worthwhile. Brett’s Monaro is one of the most talked about car in the country right now. Billy’s Datsun is just plain tough and is the first four cylinder to be featured in Killer Rides! This is just the tip of the ice-berg guys and girls. Stay tuned for some very special cars coming up…

BRING ON THE FOURS AND ROTORS

Hey Paul, Congrats on running a tough four in the last Issue of Killer Rides. I am a four-cylinder guy and with the other magazines now taken from the shelves, we’ve had nowhere to find quality smaller cars, so thank you for catering to our group. There’s no doubt there’s plenty of potential feature cars out there and I now look forward to reading about them regularly. Tony N Via Email

KEEP IT V8’S ONLY!

Paul, Whilst I can appreciate the work that has gone into the Datsun, I don’t believe it deserves a place in Killer Rides. You need to keep the magazine V8’s only. Just my opinion. Apart from the Datsun, Issue 9 was a ripper! Matt D Via Email. Hey Guys, Thanks for the feedback on the mag and in particular the inclusion of our first fourcylinder. Personally, I think if the car cuts it in regards to the style and quality of build, then it deserves a place in Killer Rides. Billy’s Datsun fits the criteria perfectly. At the end of the day, we’re all into tough cars. Who cares what’s providing the 11 power up front? Stay tuned, we’ve got some tough ones coming…

PRO-TOURING ADDICT

Hey Paul, Great feature on how to build a Pro-Touring car. Can’t wait to read Part 2! I have always admired this style of car as the whole Pro-Street thing doesn’t do it for me. Three-inch front wheels just don’t suit my driving style. Don’t get me wrong, I love the look of a wild, over the top Pro-Streeter, but for me, it’s Pro-Touring all the way. I am currently building a HK Holden wagon as a driver with a LSA, six-speed manual combo and independent rear-end. Once I get the driveline in, I’ll send through some build pics. Pat T via Email G’day Pat, I’m glad you like the article. Part 2 is in this issue. I love HK/T/G wagons and in fact, I tried to find one before buying my Studebaker. I couldn’t find a suitable one though and then the Stude became available so I jumped on it. Can’t wait to see it, sounds great! Good luck with the build. Cheers, Paul.

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ABOUT THE ASSOCIATION!

The Australian National Street Machine Association Inc. is a democratically elected not for profit association whose aim is to co-ordinate and promote the activities of Street Machine Clubs and Individual Street Machiners who are members of or are affiliated by way of their Clubâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s membership of ANSMA. The Australian National Street Machine Association Inc. was started in 1985 by Graham Stubbs (Life Member), its main aim was and still is to act as the united voice of the Street Machiners in Australia. Membership to A.N.S.M.A. is open to all interested motoring enthusiasts as individual members and Motoring Clubs including Motorcyclists and Motorcycle Clubs. Proudly Manufacturing in Australia

Killer-Rides_Mag_Full_Pg_0219

MEMBERSHIP FOR CLUBS & MEMBERS:- When a club or an individual joins A.N.S.M.A. they are entitled to $20 million dollar public liability insurance for shows, runs, meetings, driving events (subject to separate approval), member to member and product liability.

- Race-Proven Reliability - Maximum Cooling performance - Radiators - Fan Shrouds

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DETROIT Rock City

Owned by Mel Harbaugh and built by Chris It’s that time of year again when the indoor car Dixon at Wounded Knee Motors, this 1947 show scene focusses solely on Detroit and the world Ford Sedan Delivery was always built to be a practical driver, hence the 5.0-litre Coyote V8 renown Autorama event. engine swap. Fron the Ride-Tech suspension, This is one event watched around the world by those not just into the leather clad interior and “Ford Fleet” terested in the event itself and all it has to offer, but in particular colour scheme, this Delivery is detailed top those 8 cars that are picked to be in the running for the famous to bottom. As well as making the Great 8, Ridler award – the Holy Grail in the car show scene. Mel’s Delivery also scored Street Rodders Magazine “Best Ford in a Ford” award! Car owners and builders spend years (and an obscene amount of money) hoping for a chance to make the Great 8 with their new creations. The standard of cars making the cut increases dramatically each year and really needs to be something special to be 16 considered. On top of that, they cannot have been seen anywhere else before – and that includes the Internet! Thanks to Blown69’s Car Show Photos on Facebook, we are able to bring to the 2019 Detroit Autorama Ridler Contenders Great Eight!

Robert & Lorna Chapman made the trip from Ontario, Canada to be part of te Autorama with their owner-built ‘35 Ford Slantback. The all-black paint is flawless, the interior tasteful and there’s plenty of power thanks to the Magnuson blown Corvette LS-1.

Mike Goldman Customs constructed this stunning ‘65 Chevelle for owner Sonny Freeman with the intention of making the Great 8. There’s a myriad of body changes made along with a 900hp blown LS7 backed by a Tremec T56 gearbox. The trick interior is the handy work of Paul Atkins Interiors.

Another owner-built contender this year was Quint Walbert’s incredible ‘41 Willys coupe. This one was certainly a standout in every respect. 8 years were put in to construct the Willys and Quint said he wanted it to look like it was doing 100mph standing still with the profile body lines modified to achieve the right stance. The ZZ5 engine, TH400 trans and Moser Wavetrac rear end sit within the fully fabricated tube chassis.

A a quick glance, this ‘64 Pontiac Arcadian could be mistaken for a Chevy Nova. Owners Danny, Sandy and Cody Jadresko decided to opted to have JF Kustoms build the Pontiac after owning the car for 35-years. It took them on their Honeymoon and was drag raced for a time, but now its a pristine show car - and a Great 8 Ridler Contender! Powered by a Nelson Racing 632ci Chev with two big turbo’s making 2510hp, and sitting on a full-race chassis, the Arcadian is trick fr from the top to the bottom. With a full 18 roll cage around the leather interior, you get the feeling that horsepower will get used very soon too!

And the 2019

Named Legacy and built by the Fast Lane Rod Shop for Phil & Debbie Becker, this ‘32 Ford Vicky still uses the original Ford steel and is chock full of innovation. The 8-stack EFI small block Chev is put together to mimic cars built in the 30’s and the interior featres custom flip-forward seats, a ‘39 Zephyr Dash, glovebox and gauge cluster. It certainly earned its spot in the Great 8!

Pat and Debbie Moran’s ‘69 Camaro is a mix of old and new. Whilst the body pays homage to how the factory had designed it to be, the interior now features the inside workings 19 of a 2012 Camaro while an LSA engine sits in the sculptured engine bay. Built by Willy’s Workshop, the Camaro is built to be a driver, and it was never intended to be shown, let alone at the Autorama! But here it is in 2019 as one of the Great 8!

Ridler

Winner Is...

Dubbed CADMAD and owned by Steve Bartow, this full custom Caddy wagon was an obvious front runner for the Ridler award. From the Twin-Turbo big block, to the retro interior and period-perfect paint, this Cadillac wagon was just wild! Unfortunately, Steve passed away before the build was completed, and when accepting the Ridler award, his Brother Craig told the crowd that his Brother’s final words were “finish the car.” Built over a 16-year period by Super Rides by Jordan, the team boss, Jordan Quintall II said they came to Detroit to win the Ridler in honour of Steve. I’m sure Steve would have been looking down on proceedings with a very satisfied grin from ear to ear. His dream car did what hey set out to do...

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C A ATFR V A E A L IL O E A G B U L E E

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This page is for all ASRF related happenings and information and will become a regular page in Killer Rides with input from thise within the ASRF. If you have something to add, email it to paul@killerrides.com.au or send info and images via our Facebook page. Those not making the trek to Maryborough for the Nationals are invited to take part in the Easter in the Hawksbury event. Staged by the Macquarie Towns Club at the Clarendon Showgrounds, the low key event is all about having fun with Hot Rods. For further information, contact Joe or Linda Farrugia on (0414) 770423 ItIt may be more than 12-months away, but

the 2020 Regional Nats in Goulburn will be here before you know it. The event willtake over the inland City over Easter with100’s of cars expected to be part of the Nationals. Time to start thinking about accomodation otherwise you could miss out! More info at asrf.org.au

All NSW MEMBERS are reminded that renewals are due by APRIL 2019. “If you are on any type of Concessional Registration scheme and do not renew your membership you are deemed unregistered by the RMS,” advised Dave Clift, ASRF NSW Divisional Director. Time to act people!

Don’t forget to check out regular updates at www.asrf.org.au

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Shaping a better Australia

Coming Attractions

6 22

PHIL HOWES - TURBO BARRA XW FAIRMONT WICKED INDUSTRIES CUSTOM SHOP WORDS / PICS – Paul Beck

PACK TO GO What looks like a well-used family hack, is actually a turbo Barra-powered Fairmont sleeper…

After (unsuccessfully) trying some aftermarket conversion engine mounts to fit the later model “Barra” engine into his XW, Phil Howes engineer suggested he visit Brett at Wicked Industries Custom Shop and have him fabricate the necessary gear to fit the engine and TH400 gearbox right. Before too long, the turbo XR6 engine and box were securely in place. Phil’s XW had been at another shop where they fitted a narrowed 9-inch diff, but upon closer inspection, the housing wasn’t straight and needed repairs to make it usable – especially with the power that Phil had planned to throw into the Falcon’s engine bay. However, before Brett could do any work on the diff, Phil spotted one of Brett’s sheet-metal housings and decided to swap the old nine-inch out for the more impressive Wicked Industries-designed braced housing. And for something different, the housing was clearcoated as Phil likes the look of the raw steel finish.

+ 0 0

P H

As for the body and paint, Phil would like to leave it well enough how it currently is to make the well-worn Falcon a true sleeper.

Coming Attractions With the turbo manifold already fitted, Brett set about fabricating the custom radiator, overflow tank, custom air box and cooler pipes. The intercooler itself is mounted between the radiator and the grille for maximum airflow. Brett then turned his attention to modifying the Tunnel Vision intake manifold to accept the fly-by-wire throttle body, which also necessitated adding the suit accelerator pedal set up. The fabrication didn’t end there, with a custom breather can mounted under the passenger side guard and a 3.5-inchdump pipe and exhaust system utilising some oval tube where needed for ground clearance before going back to round tube at the diff. As for the body and paint, Phil would like to leave it well enough how it currently is to make the well-worn Falcon a true sleeper. From the faded paint to the black wheels and venetian blind, no one will have any clue as to what the new FG-spec, turbo six-pack will deliver just by 24 first appearances…

ELINRREA ENSGIPNEECS DRIV FG XR6 BA

AD STUDS SBE VALVE SPRINGS, HE TUNNEL VISION PLENUM LD CRG PROMOD MANIFO O PRO BOOST 42 TURB 60MM WASTE GATE TH400 GEARBOX 3200RPM CONVERTER FF SHEET METAL 9-INCH DI S LE AX 31-SPLINE STRANGE CENTRE 3.5-GEARED STRANGE

We’ll keep you posted…

Phil spotted one of Brett’s sheet-metal housings and decided to swap the old nine-inch out for the more impressive Wicked Industries-designed braced housing.

PETER CHRONIS - 1974 XBGT FALCON WORDS / PICS / VIDEO – Paul Beck

HOOKED ON Classics

Peter Chronis has bought and sold plenty of Aussie Muscle Cars in his time. This genuine XB GT however, isn’t going anywhere…

Now before the purists get up in arms over why Peter would modify a genuine XBGT Falcon, let me tell you that Peter bought this car in 1992 when muscle cars weren’t commanding the high price that they today. He bought the car to drive as much as he could and wanted to build a GT his way. Over the 27-years Peter has owned the XB, the majority of the time, there’s been something hanging out of the bonnet! But don’t stress, Peter could return the GT back to factory specs including the original driveline over a leisurely weekend.

On pump 98 fuel, the stroker Clevo made a credible 708hp, but a swap of pulleys from top to bottom and a tank full of higher premium fuel, that figure rose to 936hp!

Back then, Peter bought this one-of-four made, silver XB GT sedan simply because his mate owned a black with silver highlights GT, and Peter wanted the opposite. At one time or another, there’s been a couple of Goss Falcon’s, and XU-1 Torana, no less than three HK Monaro’s, SL/R Torana’s and a HQ Monaro to name just a few of the cool classics to have his name on the rego papers. For Peter, the fact that the Falcon had a Top Loader gearbox and the 9-inch diff was more appealing than the GT tags. It seems Peter was a bit of a “lad” in his early days and had destroyed quite a few gearboxes and diffs from some spirited driving and the hard to break bits in the GT sealed the deal for him. Fast forward to 2019 and those all-important compliance plates are certainly worth their weight in gold now.

In the early days, the power coming from the GT-spec 351 was enough to keep a smile on Peter’s face…for a while. Previously, Peter had owned some high-powered cars, so it was only a matter of time before the need for more power saw him looking for alternatives. For Peter, there was only one person he needed to speak to, Ned Sassine at Hercules Competition Engines. Ned is considered a guru in engine building and having built all of Peter’s previous engines, it was a no brainer really. Knowing the value of the “numbers-matching” Clevo, it was decided to build a new engine and keep the factory driveline safe and locked away in case Peter ever wanted to return the GT to its original guise. Ned started with a standard 351 Cleveland 4-bolt block before adding an Eagle steel crank and 6-inch H-Beam along with forged pistons to gain a new capacity of 383 cubic inches. The heads are genuine XY GTHO 4V cast iron heads that Ned kitted out with Manly valves and Isky springs to finish the short engine. For induction, Peter opted for a 6/71 BDS supercharger topped with a pair of 750 HP Holley carbs. At the other engine of the engine, a pair of Pacemaker headers unwind into 3-inch pipes to dump the gases after the engine fires into life with the MSD ignition system. On pump 98 fuel, the stroker Clevo made a credible 708hp, but a swap of pulleys from 30top to bottom and a tank full of higher premium fuel, that figure rose to 936hp! For Peter though, his main intention was to use the GT at any time on any day in any driving condition, so the pulleys were swapped back to keep it user-friendly. The most surprising fact of this engine build is just how cool the engine runs! No matter what the situation is, Peter says the temperature gauge has never gone above a third – and that includes putting up Sydney’s horrendous traffic.

Externally, the XB is all GT, with the exception of the large piece of bonnet metal removed for that horsepower to poke its head through.

With the Top Loader locked away, Peter backed the new powerplant with a Tremec TKO 5-speed box along with a Tru-Trac centre, 4.11-gears and 35-spline Mark Williams axles in the factory nine-inch. The underside of the GT has received quite a lot of attention as well. The Lovells front springs and factory rear springs have been lowered 2-inches with Bilstein shocks added to each corner. The polished F90 Simmons measure 17x8 and 18x10-inches, and with keeping in the regular driving theme, provide a firm but comfortable ride. Externally, the XB is all GT, with the exception of the large piece of bonnet metal removed for that horsepower to poke its head through. The factory New Look Grey paint with its GT black-outs has been redone in PPG paint by the Panel Worx Group. The paint was applied many years ago and still looks fresh, despite Peter putting plenty of miles on the GT since getting the Falcon back from the paint shop. Opening the doors reveal a mix of styling from Ford and Peter. The majority of the interior is how the GT engineers 32had offered up in 1974. Peter did however, change the front seats to leather Recaro’s and added harness belts. The rear seat is a custom made item to match the front seats courtesy of Recaro. There’s a 5-inch, shift-light tacho added to the A-pillar and a Sony Xplod’ stereo has been hidden in the centre console. Like the driveline, putting the interior back to original can happen in no time... As mentioned, this is one of only four made in this colour combo, and no one has seen any of the other three examples in the 27-years that Peter has owned this one. During that time, the XB has had three minor restorations to keep it looking (and going) its absolute best.

Over the 27-years Peter has owned the XB, the majority of the time, there’s been something hanging out of the bonnet! 33

The GT is a driving car for Peter, so much so that he is currently prepping the car for the long haul from Sydney to Adelaide for the GT Nationals in April, with that 700-plus horsepower, blown Clevo whining all the way. Peter told us that in 5th gear at 110kph, the engine sits a little over 2000rpm and is almost silent, except for that black belt noise. Now that would be one hell of a cruise… Peter wanted to thank Ned Sassine for looking after the mechanical side of the GT over the years and also to his wife who has stepped in and stopped Peter from selling the GT when the offers have rolled in, knowing full well he would have regretted it later down the track. The GT is part of Peter’s family now and will (hopefully) be with him for another 27-years to come.

Knowing the value of the “numbers-matching” Clevo, it was decided to build a new engine and keep the factory driveline locked away in case Peter ever wanted to return the GT to its original guise.

O T HOW Build a Pro-Tourer...

Part TWO

In Part 2 of How to Build a Pro-Tourer, we check out how to get the right stance by using the right suspension, see what wheels and tyres are suitable, have a look at some interior necessities and offer up some suggestions for Australian made cars to start the Pro-Tourer journey withâ&#x20AC;Ś

SUSPENSION / STANCE

How a car sits, or its stance if you like, is the first thing noticeable on your newly built ride and it determines what people think of your car. The first impressions last! If you run a full air-bag suspension set up, getting it right isn’t that hard. But one thing I would suggest would be to fit a self-levelling kit. For just a few more bucks, it will save you plenty of frustrating times trying to get the ride height just right. Everyone has their own idea on how a car should look and for me, it has to be low enough to look good, but not too low to be un-useable. Its no longer the eighties, so forget about getting the rear end high up in the air with the nose acting as a snowplow. Personally, I think the front should be an inch or so lower than the rear giving it the perfect stance. As I said, everyone has an opinion and you do it the way that suits you and your driving style. The whole Pro-Touring ideal is to get touring car handling into an older style muscle car. It’s not rocket science and all that is needed is the right shocks, springs and appropriate sway bars. Lowered coil springs and stiffer shocks will make the world of difference and can be obtained from places like Lovells and Pedders. If you want to go to the next level, Koni sells its superb adjustable coil overs, which work a treat. From there, it’s a full airbag system that not only gives 38 you a greatly improved ride, but also the benefit of lowering and raising the vehicle to suit the conditions.

Let’s be realistic, a mid 60’s bulbous coupe is never going to handle like a modern day sports car, but we can go a long way to making it so much better than the factory ever could way back in the day.

Airbags won’t be for everyone. The boot space is greatly reduced with the air tank and the noise from the pumps will become annoying after a while. And I guess there’s always the chance of blowing out a line. Its a small chance, but it’s a chance none the less. Let’s be realistic, a mid 60’s bulbous coupe is never going to handle like a modern day sports car, but we can go a long way to making it so much better than the factory ever could way back in the day. With the right person handling your set up, there will be a marked improvement and before long, you’ll have the confidence to throw your car around any Autocross course at warp speed. It’s all about getting the right mix between better handling along with a firm but comfy ride.

WHEELS / TYRES

Forget the 14’s and 15’s, they don’t even come into the mix anymore. The same goes for 16’s and 17’s. In the world of Pro Touring, the diametre kicks off at 18-inches and heads north from there. Most people stick with 20-inch wheels simply for the wide choice of wheels and tyres – tyres that still have somewhat of a sidewall so that the ride isn’t completely compromised. The latest trend in wheels is to colour code the centres to match or complement the body colour and there’s a huge range on offer from full billet to cast alloy wheels. One, two and three-piece wheels make finding the right height and width easy, so if you tub the rear end of the car, there’s more choice to fill the wheel wells perfectly. Tyre choice ultimately comes down to size, brand preference and of course, cost. But most car owners that sink $100,000 into a build isn’t going to cut corners when it comes to suitable rubber. One word of warning though, when ordering a custom set of wheels, make sure you measure, measure again and just for the hell of it, measure it one more time. Wheel companies will not take back a set of wheels that were measured wrong in the first place. Choosing the right wheel for your car can be frustrating if you don’t have a clear idea of what you want to bolt onto your car. Have fun making the right choice…

The latest trend in wheels is to colour code the centres to match or complement the body colour and there’s a huge range on offer from full billet to cast alloy wheels.

INTERIOR

What you need to consider when building a Pro-Touring car is the amount of time you intend to spend behind the wheel. If you, like me, would like to jump in the car and head across the country at any time, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re going to need some modern day comforts. And comfort means air-conditioning, power steering and of course, a sound system. Because these cars are meant to drive on the street, they need to have a full interior and if you retirm the car, the sky is the limit as to what you can include. Extra gauges (digital or analogue) added to the dash always works well as does a start button. Custom consoles are popular and can be fabricated to hold many things including switches for pumps etc as well as the all-important cup holders. For those wanting to add some technology into their rides, Chryslerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s latest 300 has cup holders that can be heated or cooled at the flick of a switch.

I would also install a nice, but not over the top, sound system complete with SatNav, reverse camera and enough high-end speakers to drown out the rumble of the engine.

INTERIOR (cont)

Older cars arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t known for their seating capabilities with little if any support built into their make up. There is any number of factory or aftermarket bucket seats available that can easily be adapted to any make or model with a couple of easily made mounts. You can even consider seats in any late model car from Hyundaiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s to Commodores. To complete the interior retrim, any upholsterer can redo the rear seat, door trims and headlining to suit. I would also ditch the factory steering column and wheel and update it with an adjustable billet column with a smaller, more direct steering wheel, probably from the MOMO catalogue. I would also install a nice, but not over the top, sound system complete with SatNav, reverse camera and enough high-end speakers to drown out the rumble of the engine. At the end of the day, the comfier it is, the more time you are likely to spend in it.

Because these cars are meant to drive on the street, they need to have a full interior and if you retirm the car, the sky is the limit as to what you can include.

SUITABLE AUSTRALIAN CARS

So when we mention Pro-Touring we straight away think American muscle cars of the late ‘60s, early ‘70s, but while we may appreciate them, sometimes the costs prohibit the purchase. That begs the question, “What Aussie car would make a great Pro-Tourer? I’ll answer that by saying any Aussie car can be made into a Pro-Touring ride. We know of an LSpowered EH Holden sedan, a cool early Chev truck built by the Chop Show, Adam Barnes’ stunning Turbo LSX HT Monaro to name but a few.

As far as the GM brand is concerned, the early Monaro’s (HK-HG and HQ) all lend themselves well to the trend, but if you’re looking for something a little left of field, why not an HK wagon, LH/LX Torana or even an FX/FJ for that matter? I know straight away that if I was building a Pro-Touring Ford is would be an XA/XB Coupe, but with that in mind, I reckon an 48 XM/XP Coupe, XW/XY sedan or even XD Falcon could do the trick. If you really wanted to push the envelope, what about a Falcon Panel van?

There’s any number of early Mopar coupes that could be portrayed quite well as a ProTourer and we’ve already seen a few Chargers built this way including Romeo’s stunning silver version that relies on a 6.1-litre SRT8 engine for power. Rolling on big wheels, it really does make a statement. Anything is possible, it just comes down to how far your imagination lets you run wild.

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HATCHING A PLAN... 50

MICK DARKE - LX TORANA HATCH WORDS / PICS / VIDEO - Paul Beck

Mick Darke’s X275 Torana had already run a 9-second pass with its small block power. But Mick wanted an 8-sec time slip. Back to the drawing board…

This Hatch started life as a stock six-pack and was one of a yard full of Torana’s Mick had collected back in the day. After a stint overseas, Mick returned with head full steam and got stuck into building one for street and strip duties. Like all of his previous cars, the Torana was always going to be black, and it had to be tough and registered! “I’ve never owned a trailer so the “race-car only” deal just isn’t for me. I’ve always loved the whole Radial racing bracket and decided early on that this Torana was going to be raced in the X275 class”, Mick explained. “I can drive to the track, race it, and drive home again!.” I can certainly see why this bracket is so popular now! Being a hands-on type of car guy, Mick handled the body and paint himself, massaging all the imperfections from the sheet metal before laying on a fresh coat of gloss black. But before the Hatch became shiny, Mick, along with good mate Brett Robertson, had performed a bucket load of work under the car including the mini-tubs, four-link set-up and the nine-inch diff conversion. At the time, Mick had allowed clearance for 29-inch tall tyres. In hindsight, he wishes he had made that 30-inches to allow the step up into the Pro-Radial ranks. Inside, the Torana no longer resembles the family-friendly passenger car the factory had intended it to be. The original seats are long gone, with only a pair of Kirkey race seats being put back in. The dash was stripped of its gauges and now holds six AutoMeter dials including the all-important tacho and shift light. A MOMO steering wheel sits just 52 forward of the alloy dash. There’s no carpet in the car at all now, though there is a mass of roll cage, (with a helmet holder) and a Hurst shifter. Mick has fitted a stereo, but hearing it over the sound of that angry big block is a big call. The interior is purposeful. There’s nothing added that Mick doesn’t need on the street or strip. Though he reckons some carpeting could be on the agenda very soon. Obviously he is over the Nascar look!

With the engine in and fired up, and with a driving tune up in place, Mick hit the road for Canberra. And by hit the road, I mean behind the wheel of the Torana!

Mick has only just made the switch up to the big cube Chev engine, after previously running a stout small block. In its previous life, Mick had punted the Torana down the quarter with regular 10.0-sec ET’s. On the odd occasion, he would dip into the 9.90’s, but then he got bored and wanted to step it up somewhat. After mate Jeremy Boskovich lined him up a brand new, 555ci Chev, the Torana was relived of its small block and the move to more cubic inches and more power was on! With Summernats 32 fast approaching, the boys worked tirelessly to get the Torana ready to head to the Nation’s capital to have another crack at Tuff Street. 54

Jeremy stripped the engine down to check it out and after finding all was good, it was jammed into the Torana’s chassis rails – bolting up to the Powerglide that was still in place after serving time behind the small block. The engine uses a Dart block filled with a top-shelf rotating system topped with big AFR alloy heads and a tunnel ram holding two 1050 Dominator carbs high through the Torana’s bonnet. The intake has been plumbed with a direct-port Fogger nitrous system worth an extra 600-ponies when Mick feels the need.

Being a hands-on type of car guy, Mick handled the body and paint himself, massaging all the imperfections from the sheet metal before laying on a fresh coat of gloss black.

With the engine in and fired up, and with a driving tune up in place, Mick hit the road for Canberra. And by hit the road, I mean behind the wheel of the Torana! Yep, his big blocked Hatch is a street car! “It was quite an adventure! The carbs aren’t set up right yet so its running pretty fat at the moment, but we drove it from Sydney to Canberra, played at the Nats including a run on the Dyno before making the haul back down the Hume to Sydney.” Mick proudly told me. Sitting in the passenger seat for the trip home was the Runner Up Street Comp trophy and a dyno reading showing 688hp at the tyres. Mick is confident of upping that number to around 750hp once a suitable tune is in place.

Mick’s hopeful of getting an 8-sec ET without the bottle – even an 8.99 would be good enough!

At the time of doing the shoot, Mick had yet had the opportunity to get the big block fully sorted and ready to hit the track. He still needs the right tune and also a more suitable converter in the Powerglide to match the gassed big block’s power curve. Once these things are sorted, those radial tyres will be put to the test. Mick’s hopeful of getting an 8-sec ET without the bottle – even an 8.99 would be good enough! When he does, those Fogger lines will be feeding twice as much power through that engine! And he thinks the cruise to Canberra was an adventure… Stay tuned…

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POWER

Playground

Powercruise returns to Sydney with more smoke created, more tyres destroyed and more fun had than ever before!

POWERCRUISE #76 - SYDNEY MOTORSPORT PARK WORDS – Paul Beck PICS – Tim McCormack

There’s no other event quite like Powercruise. Michael “Gup” Gilbert has built up a motoring event empire that continues to grow at a rapid rate, whilst others seem to be falling by the way side. Why? Quite simple. Gup encourages drivers to take their cars to track and drive them like they can’t do anywhere else…

It’s no surprise to see the Powercruise juggernaut still expanding after all these years, with a new event set to take over The Bend Motorsport Park in SA each Easter. Add to this the numerous other events in Australia, NZ and the USA and it’s easy to see why the Powercruise is so popular.

The week leading up to the Sydney event, number 76 in the Powercruise series, saw many drivers hitting social media with tales of needing parts to complete builds, needing advice on tunes and basically stories of struggling to meet the Powercruise deadline. Those posts alone showed just how big the event was going to be. Rolling into the venue on the Friday, you could almost smell the horsepower. There was already a smokey haze hanging over the track from the cruise sessions held thus far. Looking around the pits, there were piles of dead tyres hanging around the garages too, but above all else, there were smiles on the faces of everyone there. Yep, Powercruise was back in town…

When you look over the Powercruise program, you notice one theme – driving your car…hard.

When you look over the Powercruise program, you notice one theme – driving your car…hard. From the cruise sessions, to the Powerskids, off-street racing and of course the Burnouts, there’s plenty of opportunity to give your car a hard time without fear of being shown the door. The event also offers a Dyno Competition and a show and shine that Gup wants to bring back to Powercruise and build on into the future. Saturday night was a huge night at Powercruise, with the pit area of Sydney Motorsport Park filled to the brim with a modified car meet and Miss Powercruise all whilst the burnouts were taking place in the rubber-clad pad and the off-street racing was burning up the main straight. It certainly made for a full night of motoring mayhem.

Sunday saw more of the same with plenty of driving action – some running out of skill before ambition on the racing circuit, but thankfully no one was hurt – well maybe their pride was bruised just a little… Sunday is the 65 day for the finals to be run in all competitions, bringing to an end yet another successful Powercruise event.

OFF-STREET RACING

The Country vs. City Outlaws Racing was the first out on the track after Cruise Session No.1 which attracted some big hitters to the mix including Tristan Triccas in his RO4RY Capri and his old sparring partner Jason Mansweto who has made a return to the track in his all-conquering Pro-Street Capri. Steve Grima left the Camaro in the pits and took to the track with his tough VK Commodore, but just didn’t have enough grip to match Triccas in the Capri first up… Other lining up to take part included Nathan Ghosn (Capri), the ex-FATASS HK ute, and the tough turbo VL “LAGGIN”.

CRUISE SESSIONS

As we’ve come to expect from previous events, Powercruise entrants love nothing more than trying to coat every conceivable inch of bitumen around the track in black tyre marks – the darker and thicker the better. It’s one things Gup encourages – to a certain degree. Whilst there’s definitely no leniency on static burnouts, smoking the tyres at will on just about any part of the racing surface is fine as long as you stay in complete control. Most people do, but when those individuals run out of driving talent it can be disastrous. We’ve seen plenty of carnage at events like this and usually because the driver either has a lapse in concentration or lapse in driving ability. You just have to be aware of what’s happening around you and make sure you drive to your ability – not past it… Either way, the cruise sessions provide quite the spectacle for spectators and offer the entrants a different way to use their cars when they can’t risk using them on the street. There’s something very cool about seeing hundreds of over-powered cars cruising the track and flexing their muscle at will.

It’s no surprise to see the Powercruise juggernaut still expanding after all these years, with a new event set to take over The Bend Motorsport Park in SA each Easter.

There was already a smokey haze hanging over the track from the cruise sessions held thus far. The general Off-Street racing group was up next and provided plenty of hard-fought action on the main straight in front of a big Friday crowd. One of the highlights on Friday was watching a Barra-powered Toyota Cresta chopping an Audi on the main straight! The crowds grew considerably over the weekend to see Anthony Kafes in his ’94 Skyline crowned the winner of the Off-Street Racing section over James Caltabiano in his blown HK Ute in 67 the final.

POWERSKIDS

Easily one of the most exciting parts of any Powercruise event. With the long main straight and plenty of viewing area’s to take it all in, lots of drivers want to become a Powerskid Legend. Some are spectacular whilst others, well….try hard anyway. Top Judged Powerskid went to Josh Calgaro (Turbo HSV Commodore) with Michael Brown in second (Blown Ramber), 3rd place went to Todd TrudgettHanlon (Turbo 6 Cressida), in 4th spot was the crowd favourite Trent Smith in his blown/injected Torana Hatch with Brett Maddicks rounding out the Top 5 in his Turbo XR6 Falcon.

DYNO SHOOTOUT

The Dyno Comp has certainly turned into a turbo playground with the biggest numbers recorded coming from those with at least one turbo hanging off their engine. Brent Godwin topped the horsepower figures this year with his Falcon six turbo recording 1014.1hp. The next highest was Daniel Skewes, whose turbo V8 VK Commodore ran the rollers up to 1005.7hp taking out the V8 Small Block Blown Class. Troy Willoughby’s 2018 Statesman won the V8 Small Block Aspirated class with 462hp leaving Bradley Myers to take home the gold in the Big Block Aspirated Class with 526.3hp from his GTS Monaro. Shaughn Young was the top of the 4cyl Blown class with 487.3hp from his 180SX Nissan Coupe.

BURNOUTS

The burnouts are always hotly contested at the Powercruise and always attracts a mic of big hitters and those just wanting to shred tyres for the hell of it. Clyntin Perry took home the Top Judged in the Burnout Top Ten along with Best Celebration in his Blown Falcon Ute. Best Tip In was awarded to Harey Davis who twisted his V8 Gemini inside out amongst a flurry of tyre smoke. Joel Ryland, in another V8 Gemini, was declared â&#x20AC;&#x153;Lord of the Revsâ&#x20AC;?, whilst Mark McTiernan sat his V8 Might Boy on the limiter longer than anyone else earning him the Limiter Legend trophy. The Crowd Favourite award is judged by the crowds reaction with Keith Jones 6-cyl VR Commodore awarded the win. For all other placings, check out the Powercruise website.

Mark McTiernan sat his V8 Might Boy on the limiter longer than anyone else earning him the Limiter Legend trophy.

JUST PLAIN

H G U O T

They say one man’s trash is another man’s treasure and whilst this TE Cortina may not have been trash, it was somewhat incomplete. Harry Harrison though could see the potential to build a tough street car… HARRY HARRISON - 1978 TE CORTINA WORDS /PICS / VIDEO – Paul Beck

Some people travel half way around the world to find their next project car, some go interstate. Harry didn’t even leave the general Wollongong area to swap some hardearned cash for the partially completed Cortina! The TE had been previously engineered and registered with a V8 transplant, but when Harry heard about it being for sale, there was an empty hole under the bonnet… Unusually, the Cortina had been set up using a Cleveland engine, not the more commonly used, much narrower Windsor – making this Cortina even more appealing to Harry. It’s not every day you come across a small Ford with a Clevo jammed in between the chassis rails. Harry negotiated a fair price, loaded up the engineless Cortina and the associated bits that went with it and headed home to put the jigsaw puzzle together.

The body is, well…white. Your basic white. Some may call it plain, but when you look at the interior colour and the black wheels and air-cleaners, the body colour looks just right.

The first stop was to once again fill the engine bay with some Cleveland goodness. Harry had the guys at Wollongong Engine Reconditioning build a 351-based stroker using a factory 4MA crank and 6-inch rods giving a capacity of somewhere around 380-odd cubes. The bottom end also scored a mild cam, Hypatec pistons and hi-volume oil pump. Moving upwards, the stock cast heads were cleaned up and bolted into place with the space between them quickly filled with an old-school, Redline tunnel ram pushing two 600cfm Holley carbs above the bonnet line. An MSD ignition system kicks the Clevo into life, with the custom headers pushing the gases out via a dual three-inch exhaust system. The engine is ultra-reliable and makes more than enough power to keep a smile on Harry’s face. Eventually though, he would dearly love to swap the ram for a blower set up…

A fully-manualised C4 auto sits behind the rammed stroker and relies on tougher internals and a 3000rpm converter to deal with the Cleveland’s power. Gear changes are short and swift thanks to the B&M Pro-Stick shifter. Of course, you’ll find a narrowed 9-inch diff down the back running 4.11-gears and much stronger axles. Completing the underside upgrades are King Springs and Monroe shocks all round, Super Pro bushes and 5-stud disc/drum braking combo – a huge step up from the 4-stud, factory-fitted brakes. The wheels of choice are Street Pro measuring 15x6 on the pointy end and 15x10 where the power meets the bitumen. Harry admits he stuffed up with the offset on the rear wheels but is looking to rectify that issue soon to have them tucked in under the rear guards. The body is, well…white. Your basic white. Some may call it plain, but when you look at the interior colour and the black wheels and air-cleaners, the body colour looks just right. It’s easy to maintain too, and because Harry drives this Cortina, (and hard!) it makes sense to have a colour that is serviceable. Personally, I like it. The only non-factory body mods are the removal of the badges and mouldings, the mini-tubs and the small patch of bonnet steel removed for the carbs to hang through. 77

The factory dash is complimented with an array of AutoMeter gauges including the all-important shift-light Monster tacho that reminds Harry every time he takes that stretched Clevo into the “better think twice about that” zone.

In stark contrast to the exterior, the Cortina’s insides are red…very red. The factory seats, door trims and headlining all copped plenty of red vinyl and was done before Harry became the new owner. They say that red is an angry colour, but Harry seems pretty chilled out to me debunking that myth. It’s probably not the best place to be though after a huge night out, but it certainly has impact and in the modified street car scene, that’s what it’s all about – being an individual! The factory dash is complimented with an array of AutoMeter gauges including the all-important shift-light Monster tacho that reminds Harry every time he takes that stretched Clevo into the “better 78 think twice about that” zone. A Nardi-Torino steering wheel (with red stitching no less) finishes off the reworked interior nicely.

Unusually, the Cortina had been set up using a Cleveland engine, not the more commonly used, much narrower Windsor – making this Cortina even more appealing to

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When Harry first bought the Cortina, part of him wanted to piece it back together and then move it on. But now that he has had time to enjoy the TE, that part of him is no longer exists. Of course, if someone came up with the necessary funds, you wouldn’t need to twist his arm too hard to make the sale a reality, but until that time happens, Harry is content on firing up that stroker engine and hitting the blacktop around the Illawarra area, occasionally flexing that Ford muscle up front. Good times…

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POWERING

BATHURST AUTOFEST - MT PANORAMA, BATHURST MARCH 9/10, 2019 WORDS – Paul Beck PICS - Paul Beck, Tim McCormack

n i a t n u o M The

Mt Panorama is the spiritual home of Motorsport in Australia. Now with the Annual Autofest event on the calendar, there’s more horsepower at the mountain than ever before… There’s something about seeing Mt Panorama in the distance where you arrive in Bathurst. Even if you’re not going to an event there and are passing through, something draws you to the mountain to do a lap or two, just because you can. Every time I have been to Bathurst and take a trip around the circuit, there’s always a host of people either driving around or stopping to take selfies at certain parts of the track. 82 But this is Autofest weekend, and there’s nowhere else you’d want to be. Les and his team took the plunge and held the first Autofest in Bathurst years ago and from that point on, its quickly gained a huge reputation. And why wouldn’t it? Set in the famous pit area with Mt Panorama as a backdrop, the venue offers garages for the Elite show and shine entrants, a massive burnout pad and driving events area and of course one of the most famous pit straights in the world! What’s not to like about this place?

Yes, it’s that popular! Why? Well like every event in the Autofest series, the focus is firmly on the driving events including Spear-a-spud, Super Sprints, Autokhana, Heads-Up go-whoa and of course the fiercely contested Burnout competition.

Hundreds of car owners and thousands of hard-core car fans obviously agree as they take every piece of accommodation in the area come Autofest weekend. Yes, it’s that popular! Why? Well like every event in the Autofest series, the focus is firmly on the driving events including Spear-a-spud, Super Sprints, Autokhana, Heads-Up go-whoa and of course the fiercely contested Burnout competition. That’s not to say that the show and shine is an important part of the event – with hundreds of cars on display over the weekend. This year was no different with the pit garages filled with cars and more flowing out into the pit area itself building a great platform and another successful Autofest event.

Les and his team took the plunge and held the first Autofest in Bathurst years ago and from that point on, its quickly gained a huge reputation.

The team at Autofest also run the annual EJ-EH Holden Nationals and this year, they are running the Nationals are part of the Bathurst Autofest with the entrants in that section sharing the venue and all the different events on offer. More than 100 EJ and EH’s converged on the Mountain, coming from all over the country to be part of “their” Nationals. Even though the rain interrupted proceedings for a short time during the burnout qualifying session on Saturday, the event still moved forward with many cars going onto the soaked pad to clear the water as best they could. With the return of the Sun, so too came the smoke – and plenty of it!

There’s something about seeing Mt Panorama in the distance where you arrive in Bathurst. Even if you’re not going to an event there and are passing through, something draws you to the mountain to do a lap or two...

All in all, the 2019 Bathurst Autofest (and the EJ-EH Holden Nationals) were a complete success. The crowds were great, the cars entered into the event were plentiful and diverse and the future certainly looks like heading in the right direction for many 90 years to comeâ&#x20AC;Ś To see who won what, check out the Autofest website for the complete listing.

2 0-year APPRENTICESHIP

As a first-year carpenter apprentice, Owen Scott needed an affordable ride to serve as a work hack. 20-years later, he got to drive it…

OWEN SCOTT – 1964 EH HOLDEN UTE WORDS /PICS / VIDEO – Paul Beck

Owen picked his newly acquired EH up from the other side of Canberra, but during the short trip home, he soon realised that he may have got more than he had bargained for. The Ute wasn’t the best driving car in the world and the “adventurous” drive home was an eye-opener to say the least. “At one point, I jumped on the brakes and almost put it into a wall”, Owen explained. After easing it home into the garage, Owen found a little bit of rust and decided to get that fixed. Unbeknown at the time, but that “little bit of rust” kick-started a long time build…

While it was great to have the body and paint completed, it did make the rest of the build that much more difficult. The last thing you want to do is scratch a fresh candy paint job.

Not long after starting the build process, Owen was diagnosed with testicular cancer. Down but not out, Owen put everything on hold whilst he concentrated on beating the illness – which he did. As a gift from his parents, the Ute was shipped off to have the body and paint work completed. The original Charcoal paint was soon just a memory after the shell was sandblasted revealing a small amount of rust in the aging sheet-metal, making the body work task a little easier for Ray Nelson. Before the paint was laid on, Ray removed the fuel filler and spare wheel door, along with the factory fitted side mouldings and badges giving a much smoother look. Ray also spent lots of time painstakingly removing years of imperfections from the EH’s metal to a point where it was straighter 94 than a Supreme Court judge!

Owen’s first choice for the new colour was black, but after thinking long and hard about it, the lure of a candy paint job had him change his mind, finally opting for PPG Wine Fire which was laid over a Spearmint Green base to get the right effect. The paint work was handled by David Brown and looks absolutely stunning on the EH’s reworked body. Completing the body and paint transformation is a custom fibreglass hard cover and EH sedan rear bumper. The chrome work against the candy Wine Fire colour is a match made in heaven – so much better than it would have looked like in black. Great choice, Owen! That paint was laid on 20-years ago and still looks amazing! A true testament to the talents of both Ray and David. While it was great to have the body and paint completed, it did make the rest of the build that much more difficult. The last thing you want to do is scratch a fresh candy paint job. Touch ups can be costly so everything that happened from this point on had to be done very carefully.

After a break from the build, it was time for Owen to get back into the EH and sort out the driveline. After speaking with Peter Fitzpatrick, he advised Owen to speak to Paul Sant at Pro-Flo Performance. A meeting with Paul saw the rolling, painted Ute shipped to Sydney for Paul and his team do the necessary mods to get the job completed. Owen wanted to keep the Ute Holden powered, so Paul got stuff into the engine build, piecing together a 383ci stroker, using a COME stroker crank and Callies Ultra rod combo, SRP forged pistons and a Crane roller solid cam that gives the stretched Holden engine a nasty idle. A pair of VN heads soon joined in but not before Paul fitted them with Ferrea valves and Manley Nextek springs. A single 750 Street HP Holley carb sits on top of a Harrop single plane intake manifold.

Firing the 383-cuber into life is left up to an MSD ignition system comprising of a 6AL2 box, 96 coil and distributor. Once the fire starts, the gases are shown the door via a pair of custom Pro-Flo fabricated headers and dual three-inch exhaust system. For the record, the single carb, pump-fuel Holden stroker made an impressive 590-horsepower on the dyno. Backing the potent engine package is a built Turbo 350 auto fronted with a TCE 5000rpm converter and fully-manualised internals. The third member of the driveline trio is a Pro-Flo sheetmetal diff housing with 31-spline billet axles and a 3.7-geared 9-inch centre.

For the record, the single carb, pump-fuel Holden stroker made an impressive 590-horsepower on the dyno.

Owen told the Pro-Flo team to do what they had to, to have the car complete and working when he picked it up, so the boys replaced the original front end with a HR assembly, fitting it with a front mount rack assembly, DBA discs with VT calipers, King Springs and Koni shocks. Likewise, the rear end scored DBA discs with VL calipers along with matching springs and shocks. All that gear is hidden behind the 17x4.5” and 15x8” RC Components Torx rims – the rears having bead locks fitted for that true tuff-street look. This rims are actually a long way from what Owen originally fitted – larger diametre Billet Specialties rims that matched the current steering wheel. Hands up who thinks the new rolling stock is a much better combo! Leaving just the interior to complete the project, Owen called upon Trims by Shaun to transform the old interior space into something that could hold its own against the quality of the build so far. Shaun and Josh knew exactly what to do and took the EH Premier bucket seats, factory door trims and dash pad and redid them in tan leather. The same material was used on the custom centre console and the ring surrounding the Billet Specialties steering wheel. The headlining was finished in Alcantar.

The interior is full of custom additions including the push-button park brake and the machined dash facia that now holds a host of American Muscle gauges from the AutoMeter catalogue.

The interior is full of custom additions including the push-button park brake and the machined dash facia that now holds a host of American Muscle gauges from the AutoMeter catalogue. The stereo system starts with the Retro Sound head unit and flows through Alpine speaker and amps. Audiotech handled the install. Any thoughts of throwing tools or timber in the rear load area are long gone, with that area now covered in matching vinyl and chrome accents hiding under the lockable cover. It certainly was a long way to travel to get the build done and Owen is adamant that if he was to build another car, he wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get the paint done first. In fact, he was so impressed by the work performed by the team at Pro-Flo that he would head there first to have the entire build completed! With that said, he wants to thank those that helped him get through the build process during the past 20-years including; his wife Tipa, and kids Tots and Ninj, Paul at Pro100 Flo Performance, Shaun and Josh at Trims by Shaun, Troy at Reflections Coatings and Detailing, Harvey Miles the EJ-EH Guru, my brother Wombi, Mum and Dad and Peter and Aaron Fitzpatrick for their guidance.

LIVE JULY

13TH & 14TH

Illawarraâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

2019

MOST PRESTIGIOUS INDOOR CAR SHOW! ILLAWARRA INDOOR HOCKEY CENTRE,UNANDERRA Just 10-minutes South of Wollongong

For More Information, Please Contact Paul 0432 795336 - paul@killerrides.com.au

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SHOWCARS MELBOURNE SHOWDOWN 8 - SUNDAY 24TH FEB - MOONEE VALLEY RACECOURSE WORDS - Paul Beck PICS - Chad Silvey, Pics by Chaddo

n i w o h S OFF

Each February, Showcars Melbourne bring together an array of cars to fill Moonee Valley Racecourse all in the name of raising funds for the Good Friday Appeal. Showcars Melbourne is a relatively unique event. It’s held over one day but occupies space both indoors and outside at the racecourse with vehicles ranging from elite Showcars, street machines, hot rods, 102 competition cars, muscle cars, custom bikes and restored American classics.

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If you were lucky enough to score an inside position, you got to set up on the Saturday and were kept company with some big show cars including Greg Eslick’s black LS-powered HQ Monaro, the ex-JOBLOW A-model Roadster, David Xuereb’s Cortina, Jack Zee’s ’38 Fordson Van, Mike King’s superb white XM Falcon Coupe, Steve Martin’s MADLX Torana, Kris Velkovski’s twin-turbo small block HT Ute and Craig McKenzie’s HR Holden Ute just to name a few. There certainly was a lot of quality cars on display indoors. Moving out into the Betting ring, the quality continued. Ron Barclay’s stunning ’32 Ford coupe with injected Holden 5-litre power wowed the crowds, as did the “true fire engulfed” ’64 Galaxie sedan, the blown LS-powered Hi-tech ’37 Ford slamback, the world’s wildest Magna and the BIGNLO Fairlane with the B&M blower hidden beneath the shaker scoop. There was much more on display in this section, so check out the pics!

It’s no secret that the old school muscle car scene is alive and kicking in Victoria, so it came as no surprise to see lots of over-powered tough street cars on display including Falcon’s Capri, Torana’s and HQ-Z Holden’s.

When you exit the betting ring and made your way into the outside area, the first car that almost smacked you in the face was the stunning black 1959 Cadillac coupe. American car design just never got any better than the ’59 Caddy as fair as style and elegance goes. Race cars were prominent this year and included a number of older GT Falcon’s, Rusty French’s Bentley coupe and others. The Brock HDT brand was well represented too with every model on show. 104

Showcars Melbourne is a relatively unique event. It’s held over one day, but occupies 105 space both indoors and outside at the racecourse...

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Modified, restored, show, custom or classic, the Showcars Melbourne event had a great mix of everything you could imagine. And with the money being donated to such a great cause, it’s no wonder that this event continues to grow from strength to strength each year. Can’t wait for next year…

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Race cars were prominent this year and included a number of older GT Falcon’s, Rusty French’s Bentley coupe and others.

KANE SWAN - 2016 HARLEY DAVIDSON BREAKOUT WORDS / PICS / VIDEO - Paul Beck

GOIN’ THE

g o H e l Who Kane Swan needed a break from building cars, so he decided to build himself a full-tilt Harley like no other…

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I’m sure that when Kane walked into Fraser Motorcycles and laid down the bucks for a brand-new Harley Breakout, he didn’t know just how far he was going to go with his new acquisition. He just wanted something different to ride. That was 2016. Barely two years later and Kane has built arguably the countries wildest Breakout. If I’m wrong, show me what you’ve got… It wasn’t long before Kane was in deep discussions with the crew at Brown Industries Motorsports. First on the agenda was some more power from the V-Twin engine. The guys stripped down the relatively new engine and replaced a heap of parts with go-fast counterparts – just the thing to get this custom Harley hauling. In standard form, the 103ci V-Twin makes around 76hp at the tyre. But with the change to a pair of S&S cams, custom machined and flowed heads and a pair of Vance and Hines pipes, the engine was on its way to make considerably more than the factory could ever provide. It just needed something more… The boys found just what they needed in the form of a Procharger. More commonly used on high-performance V8 engines, the Procharger is a great form of supercharging your engine where space is restricted. On the Harley V-Twin, it’s a neat installation that reaps the horsepower benefits like you wouldn’t believe. Whilst moderately subtle in its appearance, it can turn that engine into a fire-breathing monster at the twist of the 112 throttle. When the boys did the set up and tune on the new combo, it was making way too much horsepower for Kane to ride comfortably, so they backed it off to make “only” 150hp to keep it rideable. That’s almost double the power it had from the factory. The original 6-speed gearbox has been kept in place, but is now fitted with a billet Barnett clutch assembly to deal with the power now being pushed through it. So far, so good…

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Barely two years later and Kane has built arguably the countries wildest Breakout. If I’m wrong, show me what you’ve got… With the power side of things sorted, Kane wanted 114 to start on the visual side of things. Not wanting to change the rake of the Harley frame at all, he put his attention on the rear end. Knowing the new-found power was going to require a lot more tyre on the rear end, the standard swing arm was ditched in favour of a wider item that accommodates the 18x8.5” rear SMT billet wheel and 250mm tyre. Not only doesn’t it cope a little better with the power, but it makes the bike so much fatter from behind… As you’d expect, the complete assembly is chromed. What you can’t see in amongst all that chrome is the air ride system incorporated into the rear end to get the bike down low when parked, but also offer a much smoother ride – the best of both worlds.

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Moving to the front end and its one again a mass of chrome and polished billet alloy, including the forks, headlamp, cool handle bars and associated hardware. The front wheel matches the rear (as do the disc rotors) and measures 23x3.75â&#x20AC;? filling the front end perfectly. Kane wanted to go one step further with the front end and had Brown Industries Motorsport fit a unique air-suspension set-up to the front end allowing the bike to sit very low when stationary. Kane reckons the ride is so much better now as well. 117 Win, win! Spending his day as a spray painter, Kane devised the custom mix Teal using DNA paints. But before the colour was added to the tank and custom guards, Kane welded up the rear seat hole for a cleaner look. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the smaller details that sometimes make the biggest difference! The colour is perfectly matched to the amount of chrome and polished alloy surrounding the bike. Finishing off the build was the custom Croc and Snake skin seat trimmed by Paul @ Aquaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Auto Skins.

Kane has certainly achieved his goal of building one of the wildest Harley-based custom bikes on the street. From the stance, the colour and of course the Procharged V-twin engine, this bike ticks all the boxes. But don’t think for a minute that this is a show only bike – even though it has won 9 trophies so far! Kane uses and abuses this Breakout on a regular basis. As he said, “What’s the point of owning one if you don’t get to ride it!” Our sentiment exactly…

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Kane wanted to go one step further with the front end and had Brown Industries Motorsport fit a unique air-suspension set-up to the front end allowing the bike to sit very low when stationary.

Motorsport Video Specialists Over 6000 Video’s Online and More Added Weekly!

Killer Pic PIC - PAUL BECK

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RIGHT ON

Q 121

The Monaro purists may hate it, but here at Killer Rides, we reckon this is just about perfect! Blown small block, tubs and silky smooth paint over a gun-barrel straight body. Do HQâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s get any more appealing than this?

Window Shopping SPEED PRO NOW STOCKING MIRROR-IMAGE GEN2 PT7675 TURBOCHARGERS FROM PRECISION The Mirror Image GEN2 PT7675 Turbochargers are now available direct from Speed-Pro. Designed with the perfectionist in mind, Precision’s Mirror Image Turbochargers will deliver the symmetrical look that enthusiasts have been seeking for years. These units were engineered with a clean sheet approach, to bring your street, race, or show car to a whole new level.

BL AUTOMOTIVE FOR ALL YOUR VP RACING FUEL AND ROYAL PURPLE OIL NEEDS

There’s no denying that BL Automotive builds some of the toughest street and strip engines in Australia. The proof is in the timecards. But did you know they also stock VP Racing fuels and Royal Purple Oil – both available to suit a variety of customers needs. So next time you are in the Illawarra area, call into BL Automotive at Pringle Rd, Fairy Meadow and have a chat to Leo and see what other exciting things are happening at BL Automotive. ***BIG NEWS TO COME NEXT ISSUE ON AN EXCITING NEW DEVELOPMENT*** www.blautomotive.com.au

Featuring CEA technology, these units are rated to support up to 2,600 horsepower in a twin configuration! Mirror Image GEN2 PT6266 and Mirror Image GEN2 PT6466 Turbochargers coming soon! For more information and pricing, contact Speed Pro direct. Phone :03 9794 5177 F:03 9793 1909 122 11 Airlie Ave Dandenong Vic. 3175 www.speedpro.com.au

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WIDE MOUTH ELECTRIC BEAD ROLLER

Metal Man Tools continue to be Australia’s number one supplier of Electric Bead Rollers to the Metal Fab trade. Now adding to their industry leading 600mm and 850mm Deep Throat Electric Bead Rollers is another model with a 105mm wide throat, this unit will be a real industry game changer. It has a 610mm throat depth and with the 105mm width it will allow for rolling beads on panels that were impossible up to now. This unit features heavy duty construction, 240 volt power, forward and reverse, variable speed, adjustable top shaft for easy die alignment, material guide and comes standard with 12 sets of dies and a stand with hooks to hang the dies out of harms way. Give them a call, the price will pleasantly surprise you. Also check their other great metalworking products, English Wheel, Planishing Hammer, Forming Mallets, Beating Bags and as well as Hammers, Dollies, Instructional DVDs, Clecos and much more. For further information or a free catalogue contact Metal Man Tools 0447-406980 Email, sales@metalmantools.com.au or visit their website www.metalmantools.com.au

Performance

y r o t c e r i D

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MARCH - 2019

APRIL - 2019

MAY - 2019

09-10 - NSW Bathurst Autofest, Mt Panorama www.autofest.com.au

7 - QLD QLD Auto Spectacular Willowbank Raceway, Ipswich 07 5461 5461

04 - NSW Tuned United Festival Skyline Drive-In, Blacktown 12-00pm - 4.00pm

7 - NSW Idle Wild Hot Rod & Custom Show M Centre, Minchinbury

05 - VIC Keilor Rotary Club Car & Bike Show Cnr Old Calder H/way & Arabin St www.rotarykeilor.org.au

10 - NSW KIller Rides / Illawarra Street Scene Coffee and Cars Catch Up Bunnings Albion Park Rail 7am-9am Phone Paul - 0432 795336 10 - NSW 3rd Finley Show and Shine Finley Showgrounds Email: southern.riverina.vmc@ gmail.com

12-15- VIC Castlemaine Rod Run Castlemaine Geoff - 0408 507621

10 - QLD Dubs on the Hill Picnic Point, East Toowoomba

14 - NSW KIller Rides / Illawarra Street Scene Coffee and Cars Catch Up Bunnings Albion Park Rail 7am-9am Phone Paul - 0432 795336

15-17 - VIC Chryslers onthe Murray Gateway Lakes, Wodomga Rod Taylor - 03 57222993

19-22 - QLD 2019 Panel Van Nationals Charters Towers www.vannationals.com.au

17 - VIC 11th Dandenong All Holden Show Greaves Reserve, Dandenong rotaryendeavourhills.org.au

19-22 - NSW Easter in the Hawkesbury Hawkesbury Showground Joe or Linda Farrugia - 0414 770423

17 - NSW Kool Kruisers 10th Charity Car Show Liverpool Catholic Club

18-21 - NSW Narrandera Rod & Custom Run Phone 02 6959 1302

31 - QLD Power Up Show and Shine and Swap Meet NSA Sports Fields, Burnett Street, Nanango

26-28 - VIC Revving the River Festival Echuca www.revvingtheriver.org

31 - VIC Rotary Club of Belgrave Car Show Ferny Creek Reserve, Ferny Creek www.belgraverotary.com

28 - NSW Sussex Inlet Bowlo Show and Shine www.sussexbowlo.com.au

05 - QLD QLD Cruisings Pride & Joy Car Show Country Paradise Parklands Nerang qldcruising@gmail.com 11 - QLD All Holden Day Thabeban Rd, Bundaberg www.bundabergholdenclub.org.au 11-12 - VIC Meguiarâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s MotorEx Melbourne Showgrounds www.motorex.com.au 18-19 - NSW Shannons Tamworth Motor Show Tamworth Regional Entertainment Centre www.tamworthmotorshow.com 25-26 - NSW Sydney Hot Rod & Custom Auto Expo Rosehill Racecourse www.hotrodandcustom.com.au 31MAY - 3 JUNE Wintersun 2.0 Murwillumbah Showgrounds www.wintersun2.com.au

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